Fisayo Dele-Bashiru decision explained with big praise for Sheffield Wednesday trio

The talented midfielder was replaced by the returning Dennis Adeniran after a 45-minute outing that saw him jump in and out of an action-packed encounter.

Wednesday’s midfield has been widely praised for its handling of a star-studded Magpies midfield that at one time or another featured the likes of £40m man Joelinton, Premier League regulars Sean Longstaff and Joe Willock and Brazilian superstar-in-waiting Bruno Guimarães.

Speaking on his decision to hook Dele-Bashiru, Moore suggested it angled on a yellow card awarded for a challenge on Longstaff just moments before the break.

Dele-Bashiru has been the subject of a long-running saga over a new contract. With the current deal of the former Manchester City youngster set to run out in the summer, Wednesday had hopes of agreeing an extension deal as far back as October. But there appears to have been no further progress.

“I only brought Fiz off because he’d been booked,” Moore said. “I thought with the tightness of the game, the challenges that were going in and the way we were engaging them, we had to keep that contact on them on the ball so I took him off and brought Dennis on.

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“That brought us fresh impetus and tightened things up a bit because they were just starting to find little pockets of space.”

Moore has suggested there is no intention of selling any players in the January transfer window, distancing the club from any notion they could take their last opportunity to cash in on Dele-Bashiru.

Even without injured talisman Barry Bannan, there is an intense and ongoing battle for minutes in the Wednesday midfield – with huge praise having been thrown at George Byers and Will Vaulks having stepped into the breach

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“I thought they complimented each other really well,” Moore said on the pair. “They’ve both got different skill sets but they come together really nicely and they’re developing a really nice understanding.

“They were excellent again, solid. Dennis came in and did really well. Their use of the ball was excellent and they’ve given everything tonight.”